Nguyễn Thị Châu Giang Vietnamese, b. 1975

Nguyen Thi Chau Giang (b. 1975) graduated from the oil painting department of the Ho Chi Minh City University of Fine Arts in 1998. Her artistic practice encompasses literature, painting, performance, and installation. Giang is proficient in traditional silk painting techniques incorporating contemporary perspectives. Her artwork addresses the traditional roles of gender and the changing place of women in Vietnamese patriarchal society, as well as contemplates on the nature of lives, especially from women’s points of view.

In Giang's creations, viewers seem to observe the infinite stream of time; when a newborn is brought into life, an old life also passes. Shredding layers of clothing to the nude bodies also symbolize openness and freedom, while also demonstrating the inner strength of women in modern society. Her paintings also represent the transition of generations, where values and ideologies are challenged: will there be an equilibrium point regarding preserving tradition and adapting to change.

Giang’s silk painting has gained its own contemporary momentum as she continues to follow the conventional wisdom of the old masters with a multi-layering method while creating a sense of novelty within its own boundaries reflecting her own experiences. She’s most recognisable for her signature 2 faces silk painting, where layers of ink and watercolours were applied on both sides, creating a depth visual effect.

Her works are collected in many private and public collections, such as the Hermitage Museum (Russia), Singapore Art Museum (Singapore), Fukuoka Japanese Art Museum (Japan) and the Vietnam Fine Arts Museum (Vietnam).